CrazyPaul said:Some are called an "unknown hero" or "Deaf supporter".It is those "nameless" people ... the ones we can't remember their name, the stranger we accidentally met ...
The ones who stood up for us. What should we call them?
It is funny, I ran into an old bully a few years back, he acted like we have been best of friends for years...and of course says he cant remember ever bullying anyone (me) or us fighting.... Maybe I did damage that ego of his?
Mostly I felt adults went right along with the kids on bullying. I like your story though.
I have also seen that too.
A bad example set by parents. I remember watching a video a few days ago about a father and a son making fun of a girl who had cerebral palsy. It was captured on video at their bus stop.
A few days ago, I remembered something that happened to me when I was 6 years old. My parents sent me and my older brother to what was called, Vacation Bible School (VBS). It was sort of like a summer camp at a church, but we were dropped off each morning and picked up in the afternoons. Sort of like "daycare" I guess.
Anyways, I was ganged up on by a group of older boys who were bullying me because I could not speak very well, or hear very well (I wore 2 hearing aids back then). I guess a lot of people can relate to this? Anyways, the bullying got pretty bad, shoving, hitting, name calling etc. etc. I remember there being about 3 or 4 older boys constantly harassing me. I do not know why I did not go and get an adult, and I think it was because my older brother was so willing to lay into them every time he caught them doing that to me. But, one day, one of the camp counselors saw what was happening and intervened. She put a permanent end to it.
That day, she took me inside the chapel and we had a private chat. She knew I felt absolutely crushed. She knew I was made to feel "different" and "inferior" by the bullying. Looking back on this experience, I think she was even a little shocked by how vicious the bullying had gotten. She then explained to me that she wore hearing aids too. She moved her hair back and showed me and said "Shh, don't tell anybody!" and then smiled. That perked me right up, because at the time, I did not know of anyone else, other than my father, who was hearing impaired like me.
Later that summer, she introduced me to her father and mother. I remember her father in vivid detail, because he was blind and was missing one arm. She apparently had told her dad about the bullying because he was very kind to me and would talk to me every afternoon. I later learned that he had lost his sight and his arm in Korea when a grenade went off near his head. He was a Korean War Veteran, either US Army or Marines (I think it was the Marines).
These two people, who I cannot even remember their names, were the two people responsible for instilling a confidence in me that "I was ok". That I was not "inferior" in any way.
I wish I could say thanks after all these years. Anyone have a similar story?
That is a wonderful story. There are good people in this world.
I took my 80 year old mom shopping the other day. When we were entering the grocery store there was someone selling or promoting something at the door. I had gone a little ahead to get a cart and apparently this person had asked me a question, which I missed. I guess they had a few choice words for me and not realizing my mom was with me said them as she was approachng. My dear sweet mom in her Irish brog said "she is deaf you big arse". That I heard and I haven't laughed that hard in years!!!
Something like that happen to me too. I was out shopping with a friend of mine
and all of a sudden I heard my friend saying to a saleswoman "my friend is HOH and can't hear you!" The saleswoman had asked me a question and I did not hear her and she made some rude comment . My friend was really upset . I had forgotten about this until I read your story.
Since I am getting out more, I am running into this a lot. I don't want to have to be saying "sorry I am deaf" all the time but I also don't want to seem rude. Curious how others deal with this, do you just ignore them and walk by?
Oh, if a stranger asks for help or money or wants to sell you something, I always gesture "Deaf" and then look away or walk by. It's not impolite so no harm done. He/she can ask someone else who can speak. Right? What's more, how can I understand what he/she says and how can I answer a question he /she might ask? I am PROFOUNDLY deaf (in other words, I am Deaf). I never carry paper and pen with me.Since I am getting out more, I am running into this a lot. I don't want to have to be saying "sorry I am deaf" all the time but I also don't want to seem rude. Curious how others deal with this, do you just ignore them and walk by?
Oh, if a stranger asks for help or money or wants to sell you something, I always gesture "Deaf" and then look away or walk by. It's not impolite so no harm done. He/she can ask someone else who can speak. Right? What's more, how can I understand what he/she says and how can I answer a question he /she might ask? I am PROFOUNDLY deaf (in other words, I am Deaf). I never carry paper and pen with me.
A woman once stopped and asked me for direction and I did not want stand in the middle of the street with my dog so I told her I could not hear her and the woman got pissed off at me. I was so glad I did not help her!
:roll:
Are you saying I am lying about this?? Would you like to tell me what you saw happen that day??
And I really hated when people put my words into BOLD LETTERS as it made it looks like I wrote
my comment that way!